Box-flap holder



H. J. KROETZ BOX FLAP HOLDER March v24, 1925. 1,531,011

Filed Oct. 9, 1923 v v figa ZKF EZ? WM y f/z//// f/z//ig down.

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Patented Mar. 24, 1925,.

HUGO J. KROEIZ, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

Box-FLAT HOLDER. i

Application filed October` 9, 1923. Serial No. 667,563.

To all whom may concern."

Be it known that I, HUGO J. Inon'rz, a citizen oit the United Sta-tes, and resident of Milwaukee, in the county ot Milwaukee and State oit lisconsin, Ahave invented certain new and useful Improvements in .Box-Flap I'Iolders; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

This invention relates to box flap holders.

In pasting` the flaps of boxes in position, difficulty has been experienced, due to the .inability ot the operator to successfully hold the flaps down and paste them lirmly in position. Usually the operator has found it necessary to use other port-1 ons of his body,

as his hands, for instance, a knee, to retain' the flaps in position while he pastes them It will be readily appreciated that in large shipping departments this mode of operation has needlessly wasted a large This invention is designed to overcome the above noted defect, and objects of such invention are to provide a box lap holder which may be instantly applied to the box to retain the aps temporarily in position while they are being pasted, which may be readily manipulated, which is adjustable to tit boxes of different sizes, and which is of simple construction and attractive appearance.

Au embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device, showing the box, upon which it is positioned, in dotted lines.

Figure Q is` a vertical sectional View through theI device.

Figure 8 is a sectional view through the horizontally extending arms, showing a modiiied form of construction.

Figure 4c is a fragmentary side view, partly in section, ot the construction shown in `Figure 3.

The device comprises a body` portion 1 which is ot channel shape and has upwardly extending flanges 2. It desired the body portion 1 may be thickened, as indicated at 3, adjacent its central portion, and `is provided with a threaded aperture 4t through such thickened portion. The {ianges 2 are apertured and receive the inwardly projecting parallel arms 5 and 6 of U-shaped members formed preferably from rods. These members 5 and 6 are downwardly turned, as indicated at 7 and 8, respectively. j

Above the arms 5 and 6 a pad 9 ot leather., or similar material, is located between the flanges 2 and is adapted to bear downwardly against said rods, A clamping block 10 is positioned above the pad and loosely fits between the flanges. This clamping block is provided with an aperture 11 therethrough adapted. to loosely receive the threaded stem `12 ot a screw, such screw engaging the threads of. the aperture l in the body portion'l. i

The screw is provided with amanipulatingl'iandle- 12, which is `preferably ot such size as tobe easily grasped by one'hand of the operator when adjusting or positioning ther device, This handle 12 may be in the form of a torus shaped disc, if desired, and may be clamped between suitable washers carried by the screw. A pairoi:l nuts lBuretain the handle in position in binding relationto the screw,-one of such nuts acting as a lock nut.

Obviously, the rods 5 and 6 may be made of any desired length to accommodate different sizes of boxes. However, if it is desired to vsupply a medium length set of rods, it is merely necessary to provide extension members,'which are in the form of rods 14 and which carry` sleeves 15 at their outer end. These sleeves 15 are locked to the rods by means of set screws 16 and are provided with set screws 17 adapted to engage the rods 5 or 6, as the case may be,`and`to lock such rods rigidly with respect to the extension rod 14. Itis preferable to provide thesleeves .15 with at faces 18, as shown in Figure 3, so as to readily clear the adjacent rods.

In using the device, the portions l7 and 8 are adjusted to the desired width, and the hand wheel 12 is rotatedto cause the clamping block 10` to press downwardly and to thus bind the rods in 4their adjusted position. When so adjusted, the device may be readily vslipped downwardly upon a box, as indicated in dotted lines at 19 in Figure 1, with the portions 7 and 8 engaging the side walls of the box and retaining the device in position. The flaps 20 are held downwardly and the ends of such flaps may be readily pasted. Thereafter the device may be removed and the central pasting strip positioned upon the box. It is to benoted that the body portion 1 bears downwardly directly against the adjacent central portion of the top of the box, and thus engages the free ends of the flaps 2O and retains them in position. A

After the device has been set, itmay be quickly applied to the boxes without any resetting, as it may be slipped downwardly v upon the box, thus forcing the flaps into position, and may be as quickly removed therefrom. t

It will thus be seen that a box flap holder `has been provided, which is extremely serthereby and terminating in downwardly extending portions adapted to grip the sides of la box, and a handle having a screw threaded portion extending` at right angles to said rods and into said body portionfor clamp. ing said rods in relatively adjusted position with respect to said body portion.

2. A box flap holder comprising a body portion having apertured side lianges, a pair of rods passing through the apertures in said flanges and terminating in downwardly extending portions adapted. to grip thesides of a box, and clamping means located between said flanges and adapted to bind said rods in adjusted position.

3. A box flap holder comprising a body portion having' upstanding side flanges provided with apertures, rods slidably passing through said apertures and terminating in a downwardly,extending end portion adapted to grip the sides of a box, a clamping block loosely positioned betweensaid flanges, a screw passing` through said clamping block and threaded into said body portion, and a handle carried by the upper end ol said screw. c

ll, A box flapholder comprising a body portion having upstanding side lianges provided with apertures, a pair of U-shaped rod members having parallel arms slidably received within said apertures and terminating in downwardly extending portions Ladapted to grip the sides of a box, a clamping member positionedbetween said flanges and above said rods, a screwv loosely vpassing through said clamping member and'threaded to said body portion, and a manipulating handle carried by the upper end of said screw.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing l have hereunto set my hand at Milwaukee, in

the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin.

-HUGO J. KROETZ. 

